Watery Spark
by Alexie Barnaby
Summary: Being emotionally afectionated is something Wallace would never feel, or at least that's what he believes. Yaoi oneshot WallacexVolkner


**Author's note: **Just two more hours and I made two days without sleep! Well, not sleeping is dangerous, as you can see from this "thing" I just written down.

**Disclaimers: **I still don't own pokèmon

**Songs: **(1) She's not me by Madonna; (2) Someone who cares by Three Days Grace

"_She's not me, she doesn't have my name, she's never gonna have what I have, it won't be the same.." _

Wallace tuned as he gathered and titled some water to analyze. He was told that there was bad chemical pollution case going up in Sunyshore City's sea, and who better than him could specify the cause?

"I didn't know you liked Madonna" laughed Crasher Wake while putting all the samples aside.

"What's wrong with that? I loved her since my childhood. What did you think I listened to?"

The other shrugged "Well, a man like you…maybe something like _The Police_"

"I actually like all kinds of music, I'm not one with problems" he stood up holding the last test tube in hands "Should we go now? I think we've gathered enough for the analysis we need to do. Where's the laboratory?"

"We can use the one behind the Pokèmon Center"

The two water masters made their way towards the laboratory, it was pretty small but it had all the needed machineries. Wallace walked towards the centrifuge machine, but as soon as he turned it on, the light went off "What the heck? You have an electric type gym here yet your machinery make the emergency systems blow this easy?"

Wake was puzzled "Dammit, I can assure you it worked perfectly the last time!" Wallace made his way through the stairs, missing one of them and hitting his head with the door "Damned Sunyshore City!" he proceeded outside, and there he noticed lots of electric machinery wasn't working. "I'm sure the centrifuge didn't do this all on its own!"

"No, not again!"

"It's impossible to live like this!"

"I was doing the ironing!"

"Two weeks of work sent straight to hell!"

A chorus of voices took Wallace's attention, he walked up to a metal path to see several people protesting in front of the gym. He got closer to a girl "Sorry, _mademoiselle_ , what's going on here?"

The girl answered, not leaving her eyes from the building in front of her "Volkner, it's the third time this month he causes a blackout to the city, he's surely modifying the mechanism in his gym again, and we're stressed out for his behavior" he nodded "I'm gonna try to fix the situation"

He made his way through the crowd, noticing the main door was locked, he headed on the back and opened the secondary one.

The gym was darker than a cave "Anybody here?" he called. Receiving no answer, he rose his tone a bit "Volkner, are you here?"

Still no answer.

Aware of his previous accident, the Hoenn champion tentatively proceeded, hoping not to hit any surfaces this time; obviously that wasn't his lucky day, as he didn't find anything under his feet and stomped on the floor "Fuck off!"

"Who's there?" a small light was getting closer and closer, revealing himself to be a Lanturn accompanied by a tall blonde boy, his expression was halfway between pissed and amused about the unexpected visitor.

Wallace didn't answer, he was too concentrated on his sore knee to understand the question.

Volkner knelt down laughing at the sight before him "Great in the water, silly on land. Do you want something from me or sneaking in others' places without permission is just a habit of yours?"

"Sneaking without permission for habit, my ass! You provoked a blackout while I was analyzing _your_ water!"

The electric master narrowed his eyes, like the notice was completely new to him "What?"

"Your sea seems to be overcrowded with Tentacool, we think it's due to a chemical pollution. Where the hell do you live?"

"Sorry Mr. Touchy, I've been busy lately...as you can notice.." he said showing the dark back of his gym, Wallace rewarded him with a sharp glare, the other rose his hands in defeat "Alright, alright. Calm down, I'm gonna put the current back in circle, this is my city and I care about it…" he stopped staring at his mate's face, muffling a laugh.

"What?" came the bitter reply.

Volkner pointed at his right eye "Is this a new make-up trend, or you just had a meeting with a Hitmonchan?"

Wallace growled at him, but even in the small light, he couldn't cover the redness of fury that painted up on his cheeks "This is all your fault!" he turned to leave, stumbling on a step, Volkner grabbed him from the cape "Do you want an encore?"

"Fuck you! Just fix the power issues and don't mock me!"

He went out rumbling under his breath "My pretty face…my face….dammit…stupid electric type trainers…"

*xXxXx*

"Stupid, obnoxious, wide mouthed, spoiled brat! He made fun of me, repeat: _me_…ouch! Glacia, this hurts!" Wallace complained while the girl kept an ice bag pressed on his eye "If you didn't hurry the way you did, now it wouldn't hurt so much!"

"Glacia's right Wal, he might have caused a blackout, but you were the one to don't pay attention at your steps"

Wallace sighed, the black eye didn't show the least hint of healing "Maybe you're right. I still need to finish the analysis, may I borrow your laboratory in Lilycove City? At least there the Gym Leaders aren't the electric type ones!"

Steven chuckled, browsing on his registers "These gems seem to come from nowhere, there's nothing similar around here" he commented holding a yellow stone on his hand "Maybe the aliens" joked Sidney, not letting go of his _Guitar Hero_ game.

"This is a chance I'm supposed to consider"

"Whatever, I'm not scared about silly white guys with blue wide orbs…not after seeing Wallace with a black eye"

The champion glared up at him "Do you wanna die today?"

"Hey, don't be so touchy!"

Phoebe came in holding a can of coke "Yeah, Sidney's not wrong, you can always put on a mask like Will does"

"… so with that cap and cape he could be some kind of a _Sailor Zorro_"

"I kill him!" Wallace abruptly stood up clenching his fists and dropping the ice bag on Glacia's dress, ready to beat Sydney up to the bone. The girl fumed, grabbed the champion from the wrist and pulled him back to the couch "You stay still here and don't mess around! Or I'll give you another black eye!"

"What's with all of you today? My pretty face's been ruined and you mock and make fun of me? It's all that damned Volkner's fault…" he pouted pressing the ice bag further on his injured eye.

"When you stuck up with something is impossible to dissuade you! Come on, Wal. It's just a black eye, everyone got their bruises, they just fade away, where's the point in getting so upset? Besides now everything's passed, you don't have to meet him anymore, can't you just pretend nothing has never happened?"

"Yeah, listen to Steven, he's engaged with Lance, he knows something about bruises and unbearable guys"

"Shut up Sidney!" a chorus of voices made the dark master fall silent in a second.

"Well..I guess I have to finish the analysis right now, sorry guys, I need to leave.."

After the door was closed, Phoebe ensured the champion left for good "According to my past experiences, Wallace's developed a strange addiction to that guy"

"Yes, that nice blonde must have whet his pendulum, somehow"

Glacia looked up to notice three astonished faces staring at her, Phoebe was still leaning against the door, Steven holding a paper and Sidney not playing anymore.

"_W-het his pendulum_? Glacia, did some of my pokèmon possess you?"

The ice master stood up from her seat "Obviously, when the stupid Karen says it, everyone's fine with her because she can, she's so fucking cool! You know what? I'm a dammit Elite 4, I'm grown up and vaccinated and can use a filthy language as much as everyone does! Go fuck yourself everyone, you bunch of assholes!"

She screamed leaving and slamming the door behind her.

"What the heck is wrong with everyone today?" asked Phoebe still confused by the recent happenings.

Sidney shrugged, turning back to his game "I just hope it's nothing infective or we are in a serious trouble"

*xXxXx*

"And also this sample is clean, no peculiar notice of any toxin presence" Wallace put the test tube down and filled in all the reports, maybe the dramatic increase of Tentacool in Sunyshore's waters was due to another reason. He took the pokègear, Wake needed to be advised, he was having such a pain for this reason. The mobile was unreachable, so he tried at home, a young voice answered him, it was one of Wake's pupils "Hello, this is Wallace…"

/"Oh my god! You are Champion Wallace from Hoenn? I Can't believe it!"/

Yes, as he suspected there was a girl on the other side.

"Yes, darling. It's me. I'm looking for Wake"

The girl squeaked for other good three minutes before informing him that her leader was in Sunyshore's laboratory. Wallace exhaled slowly, he had a bad feeling about the trip he was about to start.

He glanced at the clock: _ten to nine_. He spent the whole night on that damned analysis to reveal what? That the waters were pure.

He reluctantly pulled himself into the shower, if there was something he really cared about, was the outer appearance, that was why he got all so worked up for the black eye rather than the more serious injury on the knee.

He looked everywhere in his bathroom cabinets for a trace of a colored cream or whatever to cover the bruise on his face.

Luckily, he happened to share the night with Elesa some times before; the girl was so deeply addicted to make-up stuff that she left her beauty case at Wallace's with the excuse that she owned several of them.

He looked through the blue plastic of the case, victoriously grabbing a bottle of liquid foundation.

After something that seemed years, he succeeded to cover his black eye(But now he more looked like to Marlon, with lighter hair. Barely he knew his decision would become a great regret later)

He forgot that _Sunyshore_ was named like that for a reason. A certain reason called _sun_. And not just the fiery globe that shines and gives lovely warmth and light: no!

The sun in Sunyshore was the evil sphere that even if covered by thick clouds, spread a frying hot heat around, making even a Camerupt sweat.

The generous amount of foundation on Wallace's face was making a perfect greenhouse effect on his skin, he clenched his teeth and tried to hold on, just few minutes of discussion with Wake then, he could go back to his _cool_ room and wash the damned chemical thing off of his face.

Luckily there weren't lots of people out at that time, so he succeeded to get to the laboratory without anyone asking for an autograph. He knocked at the metal door

"Wallace, is that you?"

He heard someone else talking in a low voice

"Of course it's me, who were you waiting for? The tooth fairy perhaps?"

The door opened, and the vision of Wake in smock almost made him crack in place, it looked like some clowns that works to promote new medicines.

His happiness turned into irritation at the sight of the one who was downstairs, well yes, no one less than Volkner in person, the blonde rose a hand in sign of greeting. Wallace just forced a smile and walked past him , placing all the documents and test tubes on the desk.

"There's no sign of chemical pollution in these waters, but I came to think that if the Tentacool are overcrowding the shore is because of the temperature of it. Have you registered any significant increases during these latest years?"

Wake rubbed the back of his head as to think about it "Yes, but just of six or seven degrees, I didn't pay much attention because even the air got hotter, I thought it was pretty ordinary…"

Hoenn's champion's eyes widened "_Just six or seven degrees?_ Is the increase constant?"

"Yes, it was stable until 2009 then we measured something like two degrees variation per year"

"And yet you're doing nothing? Man, it could turn out to be more serious than you think, at this rate your waters' temperature will increase of ten degrees in the next five years! You can boil eggs directly into the sea waters!"

"Hey, no need to get so worked up for this! I'm not always here and how could I imagine this? You have to admit that seasons have grown hotter lately…"

"That's not completely true…" Volkner cut in "From what I had way to see, this is the place with the highest rate of marine water temperatures increase. There must be something wrong with this city and we need to find it out before the danger spreads all over Sinnoh"

Surprisingly to himself, Wallace had to agree with the electric master.

"Wake, I need a big favor from you."

"Tell me Wal",

"I need someone to measure temperatures from where the main sources of water are, do you think you can do it?"

"It will take a long time, but I can ask my young trainers for help! Consider all of this done!"

With that, Wake walked away leaving Wallace and Volkner alone.

They didn't exchange any further words.

Wallace took out a bunch of documents from the cabinet where weather report s were and started analyzing them down.

On the other hand, Volkner just sat in front of him, watching.

After thirty minutes of intense(and unnerving) staring, Volkner finally snapped out with a laugh "Is it just my opinion or your skin became tanned all of sudden?"

Wallace looked up and glared at the smiling blonde figure, almost roaring out the answer "It's all your fault, you better shut up. What are you doing still here anyway? Don't you have a gym to run?"

The other folded his arms behind his head, leaning back on the desk surface "Like it matters, no one will come neither today. And Cynthia gave me an ultimatum. Either I stop with modifying my gym or I'll be replaced with someone else. Besides my place's undergoing to worrying changes. I feel in owe to do something about it"

"Why don't you go with Wake, then? Stop bitchin' at me, jerk!"

"I really wonder what people find in you. Even Roark's funnier than you!"

"Well, just look at me.."

"You're a champion who can't stand on his feet when the lights are off"

And here the Hoenn champion snapped again, he had never been the touchiest person on earth, but surely he was among the top ten "No wonder you spend days alone, who the hell would ever date an annoying guy like you? You look good but your personality is quite too far disappointing! You deserve the reputation they give you! The pretty face per se means nothing!"

"You're the one to talk. Just look at you, putting on foundation like a girl to cover a black eye! Always wearing those clothes that make you look some kind of angel, jumping from a bed to another, and then it's me the one who's disappointing? You're the one who dares making me the lecture about the reputation and on the appearance that masks an awful personality? Are you sure you aren't speaking for your egocentric self? _Treating a person like an object just for the shiver of a night. _That's what they say about you!"

"There's nothing wrong in changing partners sometimes, especially if they want to! Why do you care about it anyway?"

Volkner shrugged "If you're happy then, everyone is" he stood up from the desk, making his way towards the door.

"Where are you going now?"

Sunyshore Gym leader stopped to grab a pair rubber boots and a water thermometer.

"I'm going to check the temperature in the gulf, according to me, it's from there that all the chaos begins, it's directly under my gym, I hope it's not the cause of the warming. Besides, I need to advise the people not to stay near the waters because of Tentacool in there."

Wallace raised an eyebrow "You haven't done it yet?"

"Wake annoyed the hell out of me because…" he mimicked the words with his indexes and mediums fingers _"I need a permission."_

The other looked at him bewildered "A permission, why?"

"The supreme Queen knows that Sunyshore is a great place for tourists, especially in this season, and she feared that if I report a Tentacool invasion, they could get alarmed and leave the bay, causing a big decrease in Sinnoh's income. My personal opinion is that advising in advantage is better because no one would have been exposed to a risk. Instead, signaling it after the damage is done is, other than pointless, a bigger damage. But she's the chief, so I put no argumentations on the table"

"What a silly politics to apply…"

Volkner was already at the door.

"Don't you know it's dangerous swimming in the middle of the Tentacool all alone?"

"Hey, I have Lanturn with me! And I don't really need to dive in, I can measure it just a few steps from the shore, besides the currents are so strong there that I don't think any Pokèmon would swim in it…unless It doesn't want to smash his head against the rocks"

"Whatever, just don't get hurt or something. I don't want Cynthia to bitch me for this"

"Like she would. She'll probably come with an heart attack." He laughed

"I don't wanna be responsible for a murder"

"And there's no way this could happen, trust me"

He disappeared through the door, Wallace shook his head. What a strange guy.

*xXxXx*

After two weeks of research on the possible cause of Sunyshore City waters' temperature increase, Wake and Wallace were at a dead point. Neither Volkner's measures brought to any logic conclusion.

Useless to say, the poor Hoenn champion was deadly tired, his only relief was that the bruise on his eye vanished completely, he laid peacefully on his sofa, feeling about to pass out, and finally getting some deserved sleep, Wallace lapsed into sleep's embrace.

Unfortunately, with someone like Sidney as your Elite, you can't pretend to stay quiet for few minutes. The dark master literally burst into the room shouting "Champ!"

Wallace jumped up looking around him in panic, the last time an episode of the like happened, was because Flint paid a visit and decided to cook "What, is anyone hurt?"

"Pfft..stop it, Karen just called me and…"

"No, not today Sid, I'm not in the mood for a party…"

The dark master punched him on the shoulder "Come on old sea dog! It'll be full on niiice people!" he wrinkled

"Well…I think I can just jump in"

"Great! We're waiting for you in Olivine City, be sure to drag your ass there!"

"Fine, just leave now!"

Sidney jumped out of the room laughing and going to annoy someone else "Sometimes I envy Lance, why can't I be a little more scarier?" he groaned, resigned. Now the sleep was gone forever.

Wallace washed himself clean, shaved his beard, curled his air in a proper manner and dressed up in his best suite; walking out of his room he crossed Steven followed by his loyal Metagross "Hey, are you coming to Olivine City as well?" asked the water master

"Sorry Wal, I don't think I can, I'm leaving for Meteor Falls right now, I don't think I can make it. Besides, Lance told me he is coming to visit later, so I really can't. What's the problem, do you feel lonely?"

"No, is just that...sorry, don't mind me, I'm just tired"

Steven patted his shoulder friendly "Come on, you worked hard, you deserve to relieve from your stress somehow"

"It's just…"

_Treating a person like an object just for the shiver of a night_

He stood staring at the wall

"Hey…" Steven shook his hand in front of him "Earth calls Wallace!"

"Nothing..is something happened at the laboratory, I still need to recover from the vision of a scientist Crusher Wake"

Steven chuckled figuring out the scene in his mind "Right, he must look so silly! Are you sure you're ok? You look paler than usual"

"It's because I'm not wearing that stupid foundation anymore"

The two friends greeted and Wallace made his way to Olivine City. In his head he was still thinking about Volkner's words. It wasn't for the meaning per se, but because he maybe was the first one to doubt of his beauty. Of course Sidney or Phoebe sometimes joked about it, but he knew they didn't think it. He was called a self confident man in a negative way, if it was negative at all, and from who? From a some kind of lonely guy who just loved to cause blackouts in his own city? Obviously one who has a lack of self confidence just accuses the others of having too much of it! If it was so, then why was it stinging his pride so much?

The sound of electric guitars rumbling aloud in the air, and the powerful voice of some of Sidney's favorite singers echoed in the air around Olivine City's lighthouse.

"_Why is it so hard to find someone/ who cares about you?/When it's easy enough to find someone/ who looks down on you/ Why is it so hard to find someone /who can keep it together/ when you've come undone?/ Why is it so hard to find someone /who cares about you?" _

Taking a breath, he made his way inside, he was welcomed by Marlon who handed him a glass with a mix of alcoholic drinks that were hard to define, well, that's what you get for putting Roxie behind the counter!

Wallace politely refused the offered drink "No offence man, but I don't really trust whatever a poison master makes to drink…"

The other didn't take any offense and as if nothing was happened, he offered it to Misty who eagerly accepted the neon colored liquid.

As he turned around he crashed into a half drunken Riley who dropped the entire content of his glass on Wallace's clothes. The aura user could barely stay up, he tried to support him, but when the guy realized who was holding him, he just slipped away giving him the finger "Not tonight, I'm not looking for a physical company!" and he disappeared in the crowd leaving the Hoenn champion incredulous.

He needed to find a bathroom to was his shirt, but it was just impossible to find it, so he decided to ask. Spotting Will sitting at a table in the corner of the dance floor, he got closer to ask; just when he was few inches from the psychic master's chair, someone grabbed him from behind, pushing him away " Hands in your pocket and cock in your pants, Champion of my ass!" Since when Sabrina grew so scary?

As soon as she settled down, Saffron City's gym leader whispered something to Will, what Wallace learnt was his boyfriend, who just laughed his ass off and shouted something not too nice towards him.

He was about to reach the door, when he felt an arm wrapping his wrist, he turned to see Skyla grinning ear to ear "Good evening Mr. Champ!" her eyes looked down on the wet spot on his chest "Ohh..this is dirty, better you take it off!"

To the flying master's great surprise, Wallace shoved her hand away "You look so nervous…you know, I am too..I've been having a bad period, you know the airport isn't running well lately…"

The water master pushed her away "No thanks, I think I need to go home…"

He ran among the crowd, he couldn't take the strange looks everyone was shooting at him, how odd he had never noticed before. He felt like chocking inside there, he needed fresh air.

The path along the exit was full of people who tried to seduce him, and for once in his life he wanted to refuse, he felt sick.

The only cuddles and embraces he needed now, were Morpheus' ones.

But obviously, the torture didn't seem to hand soon. He completely forgot that Steven had the great idea of inviting Lance over, and it's easy to understand they weren't sleeping at all. Then thin walls didn't help.

Renouncing to a comfortable sleep once again, Wallace got back to his work with Sunyshore waters, trying his hardest to ignore the noises stinging his ears.

Maybe for the first time in his life, he felt envious, of his best friend, no less! Since when they were younger, Wallace was considered somehow "the coolest of the two", yes, Steven was a awesome boy as well, his main problem consisted in the fact that he loved studies and stones more than interacting with people, he had always been pretty clumsy with personal relationships. Wallace had often made fun of him, because he couldn't even achieve to set up a date with the greatest nerdy girl around, while the water master had the most gorgeous ones without even moving a finger.

He recalled one day, it was the party after their graduation at the pokèmon school, the celebration was prospected to be epic, and obviously, Wallace was going. Steven, as usual, decided to stay at home because his father gained a bunch of new minerals and he liked to classify and study them for good.

"_Come on, Steven! A stone would never be the same as a human body! If you keep on going like this, you'll never find a good person to spend your life with! And you'll spend your nights alone cursing yourself for doing nothing before" _

"_Sorry Wallace, this stuff doesn't take my interest at all. I'd rather stay home and study this new stones. Everyone has his own passion" _

Damn it all, the _nerdy_ Steven was right, now he was well placed, while the _cool _Wallace just sat alone in his room having hell of a sleepless night reading random numbers and statistics. Since when the world had turned upside down?

*xXxXx*

It was five in the morning when his mobile rang. He didn't know who the displayed number was. He groaned and answered, at least his ears would be too busy otherwise than listening to the neighboring noises.

/"Wallace, is Volkner. Are you sleeping?"/

In that second, Steven had one of his loudest moments, and the poor Champion's nerves were about to crash "No. Not at all"

/"Well, because I've just found out something you'd be very interested in, but I need you to come here"/

"Give me an hour" he replied coldly.

Being too tired and upset for making his usual body care routine, the Champion just washed his face and put on the first things he found in the wardrobe, then rushed to Lilycove City to get on the fastest ship before it left, and he succeeded it for few seconds.

He didn't bother to knock at the laboratory door, he just ran down the stairs "What's going on?"

Volkner stared at him for a long moment: Ruffled hair, a grey v-neck shirt, torn jeans(and they were really thorn because old, they seemed to be at least Wallace's age) and black skater shoes. Two black bags under his eyes and he was paler than usual. The electric master noticed this even though his mate did the possible not to show it.

"Hey, I'm talking to you: what was with all the hurry you had to call me for?"

"Oh, yes…" the other hurried to show him a paper with the map of the surrounding waters, there were red crosses scattered along the bordering between sea and land "Today I measured the temperature again, just to find out that it was increased from my previous analysis. I tried again an hour later just to notice that the temperature had lowered nearby the results of my first sample. Then it raised again when I checked an hour later. In these spots…" he said pointing at the red signs on the map "… I indicated where the temperature is higher than the others, and with this I mean that I measured the lower was seventy degrees above the normal, besides I found out that the seafloor's level got higher, before the waters were ten meters deep and now they're just five and thirteen. I came to the conclusion that there must be some kind of a inner force that releases heat rays in regular periods, the heat consequently doesn't go wasted but increases the temperature of all the surrounding waters. And the source must be there, because the water on the opposite side of the land are not so hot and don't have this critical thermal excursion."

"Have you checked those areas underwater as well?"

"I did, I found nothing but rocks. Even though the point where the rock is hotter is five meters and eight centimeters under the surface. I called Roark, we should drill from the land and check whatever is going on inside"

*xXxXx*

At the Northern side of the coast, Roark and Byron were waiting with their pokèmon and all their workers, they brought machineries as well. As they walked closer, Wallace slowed his pace "Hey man, what's wrong? Do you feel tired?"

He fell from clouds "Uh? No is that…I think it's better I check what happens underwater, we need to have a double sight, right?"

"If you want…but I think we're doing just fine from the land, besides you look tired, I don't know how much could be safe for you to dive, even if it's not so deep, and the temperatures are high! Remember what you told me about committing a murder? "

"No, trust me, it's better. I'd stay away from the direct source, and on top of it all, Milotic's with me." with that he called the said pokèmon out and walked towards the shore.

"All ready here man" Advised Roark. Volkner patted him on the shoulder "Great! Thanks for coming, I hope to pay the both of you back once the work is finished"

"You don't have to, it's our region we're talking about, thank you for advising" said Byron.

The drill started to work and made a deep hole into the rock, the worker who was commanding it at one point stopped "Hey! What's wrong?" asked Roark

"The temperature is getting too high and the drill gives problems, I have to quit or we risk to break it!"

Roark nodded "Fine, We're going down with shovels"

Roark and other two of his workers dug away the remain of rocks, mud and ground. The rock master wiped away the sweat from his head "Dammit, it's really hot down here…"

The worker nudged him on the shoulder "There's something like iron here…"

Volkner and Byron poked up as the other two wiped the last dust away "Oh shit! This is the Team Magma emblem!" he furiously wiped away more dust to discover the surface completely: an electronic device came in sight and there was something like a countdown "Is it a bomb?!" the worker screamed jumping out of the hole.

"Hey! I know that mechanism! It's not a bomb, at least not one of the classical ones. They have a timer that sets something like an eruption in a certain period" he then turned to Volkner "Standing at what you said, they're programmed to release heat every hour"

"I'd rather say a minute or less more…" added Roark worried "We need to remove this as soon as possible!" commanded his father

Volkner paled. Wallace was still underwater, one more minute and the water's heat could become unbearable, he hurried to the shore and panicked when he didn't see Milotic around. Without thinking about it two times, he took his jacket off and dove into the water: he could feel the temperature increasing on his body, he reached three meters and seventy when he finally saw Milotic, a rock had fallen on the poor pokèmon, wounding him and blocking him there, Wallace floated around, unconscious, he hurried and let Octillery and Lanturn out. His two pokèmon getting the poor Milotic free and taking it back to the surface.

Volkner swam over his forces, gathering Wallace and resurfacing just in time before the temperature became too high for human toleration.

He leaned Wallace down, lowered his ear towards the other's mouth and nose, he was still breathing, but slow, too slow. Finding there wasn't another way, he decided to apply the mouth-to-mouth method, just when their lips were about to connect, Wallace's lungs gave sign of life and the champion spit a generous amount of water directly on Volkner's face, starting to cough violently right after.

"What shit of a water type trainer you are…"

"Fuck-cough-You!"

Volkner helped him to stand up, having a firm grip on his waist, Wallace's head was leant on the other's shoulder looking for support "Where are we going?" he asked with a low voice "I'm bringing you and your Milotic in town for a check"

"Are you fool? I'm in underwear!"

Volkner rolled his eyes up "Alright…" he settled him down walking to gather the scattered pieces of clothing, once Wallace was fully dressed, they succeeded to reach the doctor, after some checks and prescriptions, the Hoenn Champion was sent out with only the advice of avoiding to swim while sleeping.

A soon as they were out, Byron informed them that they were working on the localization and inactivation of all the dangerous devices and that Cynthia's police had found the ones who placed them.

"Do you want me to follow you back to Hoenn?" asked Volkner, looking at the exhausted figure of his mate, the water master was looking at his feet "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd rather stay here for a while. I really need a break from my ordinary life"

"Well, if you're fine with the couch, then that's alright"

They silently walked to Volkner's house, this one staring insistently at his guest as they ate together. Wallace destroyed his rice ball and toyed with it.

"Are you eating or just pretending to play with plasticine?"

No answer.

Volkner sat back, arms folded over his chest "There's something on your stomach you desperately need to tell me, but for some reasons, you refuse to."

Wallace sighed, letting go of his fork and looking away "I was just thinking about what you said about treating people like objects. Well, I had never really cared about because I've never felt like one"

The electric master was clearly amused "You're really saying that someone made the first step on you and then literally dropped your ass on the road?"

"Not exactly. I mean…I don't deny of having slept with…I don't know how many people, never catching a illness…" he underlined now drawing something on the splattered rice "..well, I'm not that kind of cruel, I always make them a favor back…"

Now Volkner was interested in the speech, he rested his chin on his hands staring directly at Wallace "…Does…does it mean…" he rubbed the back of his nape "…does it mean that I'm a…._whore_?"

"Well, according to the definition, I'm afraid to tell you is a fifty-five percent yes"

"I guess everyone makes of his destiny what the hell he wants, I have no right to complain now…" he sighed standing up from the table "…I'll do the washing up, don't bother…"

"Wait, wait, wait! Where's the touchy Wallace gone?"

"For your own happiness, that Wallace had calmed down…" he was shivering, gripping his hands on the sink's borders so tight his knuckles turned white; all these actions caused Volkner to worry, the Hoenn champion seemed on the edge of an ugly nerve crisis.

The electric master stood up, carefully walking closer "..Wallace…" he grabbed his shoulders "If it was for something that I said…well, I didn't mean…you're not touchy…" he knew too well it wasn't for this

"Come on, let's get you some rest, you overstressed yourself lately, and slept very few, as I can see"

One thing he didn't miss to notice was that Wallace was completely avoiding eye contact , and he was like that since his arrival. Laying the water master down on his bed, Volkner took a sit in front of him.. He feared some of the medicines were giving their side effects.

"Is something bad happened at the Pokèmon League?"

Wallace beckoned a laugh "Well, I guess it's not properly bad…just Steven and Lance making some noise in the neighboring room…Steven… actually….is partly for him I became the whore I am today…"

Volkner face palmed himself, maybe the joke of the vocabulary wasn't one of his best ideas…

"Why? Something about a sad ending relationship?"

"Nope. We're just like brothers. We grew up together" Wallace turned his head to look out of the window "He was the favorite one, he was brilliant and had great abilities in almost every field. Starting from school, ending with sports. I've never been so motivated, and even though I tried, I never succeeded to get as many praises as he did. I actually thought that there was nothing I could beat him at. This until we went to middle school. I was the first of the two to have a boyfriend, and when I went home my parents were happy for me, since then it became something like a drug, I needed to show how good I was, not to make fun of him, just to feel myself relieved about this. At that time I joked him saying that when I'd be at my third divorce he would just be a desperate, single man who spends his days alone in his study among old yellow papers while I was having fun somewhere else…guess who was the lonely single that spent the night with the company of yellow papers…"

"I have few ideas…"

Volkner covered his mouth at once, screwing his long tongue.

Wallace shook his head "I had time to reflect on what you said about me. It's true I treat people like object, in the end I just make out with them and then throw them away like cigarette's ash. Just that I didn't realize how much of a suffering was to me as well. You should have seen them, just like I was some kind of stripper… "

Watery eyes, Wallace looked on the other side, giving his back to Volkner

"Wallace…look at me"

"No. I haven't slept for hours, my hair suck and I'm dressed like a junkie…you said that. I was good looking before. This is not me!"

He sank his head deep into the pillow, words swallowed by the fabric that was growing wet too.

Muscles tensed and released as he cried, then there was a moment he felt someone on top of him, throwing the pillow aside, Wallace stared at the bright blue eyes that were almost blinding him, he felt like he was paralyzed, it was like his limbs were floating on a cloud as Volkner leaned down and pressed his mouth to Wallace's. the kiss was soft and didn't last long. After few moments of staring, Sunyshore gym leader broke the silence, their faces still few inches apart "Don't interpret my words how you want. With that allusion to your appearance, I meant that you don't need any expensive piece of shit to wear, you're just marvelous.."

He pressed a kiss to the other's nose "…and even though you could be touchy and unbearable, this doesn't make you a disgusting person, as you said, at all. You're so damned energetic! The blaze I looked for all this time long"

This time, the first to kiss was Wallace, the touch more passionate. When air was needed, they broke it.

Wallace playfully scowled at Volkner

"I've never used the word _disgusting _to describe myself!"


End file.
